Schwab is sort of isolated but you're right, it has some really nice beaches. We go there to snorkel and scuba dive. It is about 90 min from Naha or American village, places I highly recommend you go to. Electronic items are sometimes cheap when a unit leaves and members sell their stuff. I would get an unlocked world phone here so you can use it over there, one thing I wished i should have done. Enjoy and stay away from trouble....

Was stationed there in 97, the base is right on the beach and they are nice. You'll become one of 3 things in Oki, 1. Alcoholic 2. Workout freak. 3. Super religious because there's really not much else to do. If you go over there already one of those you'll come back a different one.

Seriously though take up snorkeling and get scuba certified. Go tour the WW2 memorials and monuments. Eat lots of Yakisoba and taco rice and cheese. Go see the Habu vs cobra fight and drink the Habu sake. As soon as you get there see if another unit is leaving and buy stuff tvs, Xbox, furniture off those guys because they won't wanna ship it home. Kadena Air Base and Camp Butler had the best px on the island. Kadena also had the best e club but we were banned from going there but we went anyway.

Have fun training in NTA, land nav is alot harder. Night movements when u can't see ur hand in front of your face sucks. Don't ever volunteer to be pointman, you'll be the one clearing the banana spider webs with ur face and falling off cliffs. Watch out for the Habu snakes those suckers will chase you. The endurance course is no joke. And it rains all the damn time.

Doesnt that all sound like fun? Even with all that we had a blast even when it sucked and I'd do it again in a minute, Semper Fi

Best bet will be to just go through old barracks rooms and look for TVs you might find some guys selling stuff but for most part unless you are advon everyone else will be gone by the time you get there.

I highly suggest going to Hansen and getting scuba certified or at least get a speargun.

Oki is ****ty, especially for a grunt, if you are a boot you will hate your life if you are a senior it will be fun you'll just workout and get hammered. Are you on the 31st or a UDP? Just make the most of it, don't get njped, and stay away from the Palms. Occasionally they have cool concerts from people who come out and play. I would have rather been at schwab than Hansen but Hansen has a better PX. Share internet with the room next to you and don't waste money on a prepaid phone there is wireless internet all over base you can save a ton of money by just using one of the WIFI phone apps.

If you have any specific questions PM me I spent a 31st MEU deployment in OKI.

Ugh I hate banana spiders. I remember pushing through the brush and finding a giant one on my chest staring at me. Creepy as hell.

I spent a year and a half on kinser. Schwab was kinda crappy but you can hop the libo bus down to foster and then go out to American village or gate 2 street or go to kinser and then go to Naha. I did a lot of diving over there and a lot of working out. I actually enjoyed it but if all you do is drink you won't. My favorite dive spots were madea point, sunabe sea wall, and toilet bowl. All 3 good snorkeling spots too.

I was stationed on MCAS Futenma from 2009-2011 and did two patrols with the 31st. I was at Schwab for Far East Division Matches and I'll concur that Schwab is kind of up in the middle of nowhere on Oki. Most people go to Gate 2 Street off of AFB Kadena but I usually gravitate towards Naha. There's a nice cigar bar in Ginowan called Apostrophe's near American Village and a bar called Whiskey Cat in Naha that I used to go to a lot. Rehab in Naha is a great dive to hang out with, and I used to get into 7th Heaven for free to listen to F.O.D. (Cover band that's lead by a retired Master Guns who would be the last person you expected to have done time in the Corps)

The banana show is a right of passage for anyone who goes to Oki.

My CO back in Pendleton is now running MACG-18 on Futenma and he told me that they've been a lot more uptight with libo due to incidents off base so take advantage of whatever you can.

Oki, like the rest of the Marine Corps is what you make of it. Fun fact, a lot of the strippers are half Brazilian half Japanese. I remember on the MEU eating dinner with two of them at Chili's on Kadena after I won the meritorious corporal board and the 31st MEU SgtMaj spotted me and said, "I knew I picked the right Marine."

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Was up in Camp Hansen, 2nd base in the north of Oki in 95, pretty much became a gym rat with drinking on the weekends. I do miss the taco rise & cheese cant find it in the states.

Yup Schawb located right on the one of the best beaches on earth. You'll have a million dollar view on nice sunny days. Like other stated, take up a hobby keep your mind occupied. And yes being point man on night patrols does suck especially when getting a face full of banana spider webbing. Also don't be the devil dick out with a poncho during a typhoon.

I was up with the 9th ESB,I wasn't 0311, but played alot of games in the jungle due to our company XO & CO served during Vietnam. I still remember getting chewed out by the XO b/c my newly issued parka wouldn't fit over flak jacket.

Okinawa is not a deployment, UDP or not. I loved my time there, but as an NCO, I was able to get a drivers license. Also, you can get free cars there during PCS season as well. The best advice is to not be the stereotypical American (loud, obnoxious, rude, and alcoholic). Everyone I knew who complained about Okinawans not liking them fell into that category. I never got anything but politeness, smiles, and high schoolers wanting to get practice their English and/or get photos with me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun_Smoke

getting scuba certified

This is a great idea, best scuba diving of anywhere that I have been stationed, to include Hawaii.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun_Smoke

or at least get a speargun.

THIS will land you in Okinawan jail getting fish heads and rice, as it is illegal. Even a 3 prong can be a touchy situation for you, even though it is legal. Kind of depends on how the political climate is at the time (the local governments like to make a big stink from time to time because it always results in the DoD giving them something to calm them down).

Restriction, restriction and more restrictions. Okinawa. Like being 10 years old, all over again. But hey, they have beaches and Japanese historic sights. Arguably biggest sausage fest out of anywhere I've been at in my life.

The women I was with there were the ugliest ones I've ever had but you get what you get out there. They arent the main land breed of Japanese..

Wow, bringing back memories. Spent time at Camp Hansen in 94 and again in 96. Taco Rice and Cheese, Beef Yakisoba, Club Shangri-La, White Kitchen for the awesome teriyaki chicken and rice, and absolutely nothing else to do but P.T., go to the gym, or get drunk. At least today's Marines have the internet.

I was stationed in Okinawa from 6/81 to 1/84. Lived in Kishaba Heights adjacent to Camp Butler/Foster and worked at Kadena AB. Best damn tour of my career and thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course, I was on an accompanied tour with my family. Liberty for the single guys kinda sucks unless you find something worthwhile to occupy your time other than drinking. As others have already stated, Okinawa has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and also great SCUBA diving and snorkeling. Crystal clear waters where visibility can easily approach 100+ feet. I would usually dive three nights a week (yes, night diving) and twice a day, Saturday and Sunday. Many great dive spots can be reached from the beach but, for an even greater adventure get in some boat dives off of the Keramas and some of the other outlying islands. In the 30 months I was there, I started out as a rookie/novice diver with open water certification, quickly achieved an advanced rating, several specialities, got my divemaster rating and just before I left, my OWSI instructor credentials.

Ah, Oki… fond memories. Lots of Orion beer, SCUBA diving off Sunabe Seawall and the Kerama Islands, Moon Beach… but watch out for Banana spiders and Habu vipers in the CTA and especially in the NTA.

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